DISASTER PROOF. Residents of Baggao, Cagayan return to their farms after Super Typhoon Lawin hit in October 2016. Photo courtesy of Plan International

‘The change of behavior in terms of disaster preparedness has saved a lot of lives and caused less destruction,’ says Plan International County Director Dennis O’Brien

MANILA, Philippines (Nov. 1, 2016) — From afar, you can just see a line of colorful umbrellas dotted along a vast rice field with mountains in the background. As you come closer, you can see more than 10 farmers, mostly women, barefoot and bending down as they plant rice while using the umbrellas to cover them from the heat of the sun. Continue reading #LawinPH: Being prepared saved lives→

ORGANIC FARMING. Rice and corn farmers like Mang Kikoy shift to organic farming after knowing that chemicals harm the environment. Photo from FSSI

Training in organic farming in Isabela helps farmers like Mang Kikoy recover from disasters and other calamities

MANILA, Philippines (May 5, 2016) — Francisco ‘Mang Kikoy’ Cacal, a farmer and father of eight children, was fed up with farming. He was fed up with typhoons and droughts that damaged his crops. He wanted to quit. Continue reading Organic farming thrives in Isabela→

A goat lies dead on a hillside in the Ulziit district of Bayankhongor in Mongolia. It is the victim of a dzud, a weather pattern that occurs when a dry summer is followed by a harsh winter. Photograph: Grace Brown/AP

Overgrazing and a cycle of summer drought and winter snow has degraded vital pastureland in Mongolia, killing livestock and jeopardising livelihoods